COLUMBUS, Ohio — This year, Shadowbox Live, the nation’s largest resident theatre ensemble, marks 35 years of creating art in Columbus. In celebration, they bring an innovative original show to the stage unlike one they’re ever put on before.
No Return: The Deadly Dance of Bonnie and Clyde allows audiences to step back in time and into the lives of the infamous couple.
“We originally were going to include the characters of Bonnie and Clyde as a snapshot in a different show,” said Choreographer Katy Psenicka. “But as I was doing the research, the tragic and dramatic story of Bonnie and Clyde really spoke to me.”
The show goes beyond the couple’s 1930s crime spree and shines a spotlight on their love story through original scenes, dances and creative visuals. Psenicka said one way the Shadowbox team pushed the boundaries was by double casting the lead roles.
“There are four actors and four dancers that are telling that story,” said Psenicka. “I like to think of it as each character has a pair of shoes, the actor walks in those shoes up to a certain point, and then the dancer steps into those shoes and takes the story forward.”
Psenicka also incorporated bungee cables and harnesses to take the dances to the next level. But perhaps what really sets the show apart is the merging of video with live theatre.
“We are doing something that we have never done before with this show,” said Zach Tarantelli, co-producer of Digital Content. “Video is a vehicle to drive the story past when the performers leave the stage.”
Tarantelli said the result is a Hollywood meets Broadway type of experience.
“We did a lot of creative stuff with providing moving backdrops for the performers to just kind of create the world and have it leap off the stage toward the audience,” said Tarantelli.
“It is not like a happy, happy hilarious show but there are moments of levity,” said Psenicka. “My hope is that when people leave the show, they never see Bonnie and Clyde the same way again.”
No Return: The Deadly Dance of Bonnie and Clyde runs through Nov. 13 at Shadowbox Live.
